Hero complex
by kelleywrites
Summary: It's been less than a year since the battle at Hogwarts, and Harry has found himself Teddy's guardian and it's just to two of them until he offers a newly freed Draco Malfoy a place to stay until he gets back on his feet.
1. Chapter 1

Harry watched thirteen month old Teddy stack one block on another on top of the coffee table before he turned back, spotted Harry and slowly made his way over to his godfather. "Hi Teddy." He grinned as he pulled the giggling boy up into his arms. "You're visiting Grandma today buddy boy." The boy locked his eyes on hair as his hair turned a bright fuchsia. "And we won't forget your hat" Harry chuckled as he pulled a dark knit hat over the boys darkening hair. Harry pulled a diaper bag over his shoulder.

"I'll be back around dinner but Teddy and I'll just have some leftovers, so take a break for a while won't you Kreacher?"

Harry called into the house as he shut and locked the door. Shifting the child on his hip Harry walked down the street a ways and turned into an ally before turning on his heel and apparating.

"Teddy! Harry!"

"Andormeda!" Harry responded setting the wiggling boy in his grandmother's outstretched arms, kissing the woman on the cheek.

"I've gotta go I'm running late again, but you know how to reach me if you need anything right?" He questioned looking into the woman's eyes. She nodded cheerfully, happy but Harry could still see how the loss of her daughter and her husband's illness had aged her, but she insisted on helping him watch Teddy. He kissed his godson on the top of his soft head and walked into the house climbing into the fireplace "Ministry of Magic."

* * *

"There you are!" Hermione exclaimed as he sat down next to Ron just as the trial started. He turned around and shook hands with Mr. Weasley and kissed Mrs. Weasley on the cheek. He nodded at Kingsley who was todays Judge.

"Up next the hearing of Draco Malfoy." The Kingsley said banging his gavel. A boy much to thin and broken to be Draco Malfoy was brought up into the center of the room he shivered and seemed to melt back into the wooden chair he was seated on. Harry stared at his old classmate as the judge listed Draco's defenses which basically summed up to being a death eater as he had not killed anyone, at least to anyone's knowledge.

"The jury will now hear any witnesses on the crimes Malfoy is being tried for. Several witness spoke briefly of seeing Draco in the Malfoy mansion or during the fight at Hogwarts, but none had seen him cast a spell. Then Hermione stepped forward and took a seat on the witness stand. "Draco is much to young to be held accountable for his actions." Hermione said with confidence.

"I still don't understand why you too were so adamant to help him." Ron whispered to Harry.

"Draco was born into being a Death Eater, he did not have another choice, he was marked before he was even legally an adult and was unable to stop his fate with his father in custody and Voldemort having control over his mother. The Dark Lord had control of the only two people he cared about and as seen in Narcissa Malfoy's trial yesterday the Malfoy's protect their own. They will do anything to protect their own which was all Draco was doing. He tried to avoid identifying the three of us when we were brought into death eater custody and he could recognize us, I know he could. Draco was only a young boy trying to say himself your honor. He had two choices act the way he did, or actively participate in the work of his fellow Death Eaters." She waited a moment before standing and walking back to her seat next to Ron. Harry watched Draco raise his head just long enough to meet Hermione's gaze and mouth a silent "thank you." She nodded. "It's your turn Harry."

"If anyone else would like to speak before Malfoy has the chance you need to do so now."

"I would like to speak." Harry said calmly standing up and walking towards the podium. He was calm, these trails were fairly old hat, this being the third month he had spoken at them nearly daily.

"A long time ago Draco was the last person I would ever defend, but he, and his family have saved my life more than once, and it was always in ways which put Draco himself into more danger. Malfoy is not a bad person he was just born into a bad life and though he and I did not see eye to eye at school doesn't mean that he has not risked his life for mine, or my friends. Draco truly did not have another choice but to act as he did if he wanted his family to stay alive. Er Thank you." Harry stood and walked back to his seat.

"Unless anyone else wants to add more information the jury and I will meet over lunch and the fate of Draco Malfoy will be announced after an agreement has been reached. The judge stood and walked with the jury into their chambers.

"What do you think will happen to the git?" Ron asked.

"Ronald!"

"What just because I don't want him to rot in Azkaban for the rest of his life doesn't mean I have to like him. He can walk free and we can keep hating each other from a distance, that works just fine for me."

"He has a point." Harry agreed.

"But he just looks so young, and sick sitting there in that cage thing." Hermione added.

"He does." Harry agreed. "Let's go get lunch while we still have around here won't make the verdict come any faster." He said turning away from the broken Slytherine who somehow was even paler than he had been in school.


	2. Chapter 2

The three returned from lunch just before the judge walked back into the court room. The jury and I have decided Draco Malfoy will be released, his family accounts have been appropriated by the ministry and his wand will be kept while he is on an eighteen month probation. If at the end of the eighteen months Mr. Malfoy has proven himself to behave appropriately in interactions with muggles, witches and wizards, and he has shown he is moving on appropriately with his life then his wand will be returned to him with full privileges of it's uses. Do you understand Mr. Malfoy?"

It took a minute for Draco to find his voice, and when he did it was a rough whisper "Yes Sir. Thank you."

"Release him. Next we will hear the case of Gregory Goyle. Free Malfoy and let the next one."

"When will these end?" Ron groaned.

"Never." Harry said.

"There are nine more, so after this weekend we'll have probably all next week before they're done." Hermione said.

"Ugh."

* * *

"I've got to go get Teddy, tell me the verdict tomorrow okay?" Harry asked his best friends before slipping out of the courtroom early. He winced as the huge doors slammed shut and walked past the lift and towards the stairs. There was a small figure sitting with it's head in it's hands on the lowest step. Harry approached them slowly and the person looked up.

"Draco?"

"Harry?"

"What are you still doing here? I would have thought you would be long gone by now?" Harry said. Glad the boy had stopped his shaking since the trial, though he still looked as if he hadn't eaten in a month.

"I can't." His voice broke. "I don't know where to go."

"Oh your home…"

"Yeah even if my family still owned the property I never want to go anywhere near it again."

"Can't say I blame you."

"Thank you for speaking for me." Draco lowered his eyes again.

"You're welcome." Harry stood there awkwardly.

"I'm not the last kid waiting to get picked up from daycare you know, you don't have to wait with me, no one is coming for me." Draco stated awkwardly. Harry looked at him deep in thought.

"You know I'm going to regret this but come with me." Harry said rubbing a hand up his face and pinching the bridge of his nose before letting his glasses slip back into place.

"What? I'm not going to, I can't, I, you hate me, it's."

"Draco just shut up. I hope we're past old school rivalries and anyways you don't have anywhere else to go do you?"

"No." Draco admitted weakly.

"Than just shut up and come, I have plenty of empty rooms, and you can have dinner."

"But"

"Draco." Malfoy swallowed and stood slowly as if he were a very old man. He nodded slowly without ever raising his eyes above his feet.

"Alright let's go." Harry said as the blond boy followed him. They walked through the ministry and were both thankful that no one was really around. Harry pulled Draco with him into a floo "Tonks." He said as he threw the powder by their feet, they tumbled out of the other fireplace.

"Ba da da la la." Teddy babbled as he teetered towards Harry.

"Oh Teddy. It's good to see you too." He said pulling the boy into his arms. He picked up the diaper bag and slipped into the other room to tell Andormeda thank you.

"We're going home now." He told Teddy and they walked out the front door followed by Malfoy who stopped to stare at the sunset like he had never seen it before. Malfoy turned to look down at the grass and he reached down to run his hands over it before pulling his shoes off and sinking his toes into the soft mud, He chuckled low and soft before looking back up at the last remaining of light and the first stars of the night.

"Been a while has it Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"You have no idea." Draco replied walking over to Harry who put a hand on his shoulder and turned the three of them on the spot.

They stood crowded on the doorstep as Harry pulled out his keys and unlocked the door stepping inside.

"Welcome to Grimmauld Place. It was left for me by my godfather he was your second cousin of sommot." Harry looked awkwardly at Draco. He walked to the living room and dropped Teddy in his playpen.

"You can have the empty room on left on the third floor, the furthest I can get you from Teddy's crying isup there, since I've magically locked up the top two floors because we have yet to get them fully cleaned of their magical pests, but that room is clean and there is a bathroom attached, I think it still has shampoo and stuff and I'll put a change of clothes in your room." Harry rambled.

"I'm really disgusting aren't I?" Draco asked awkwardly.

"You don't want to know" was the answer Harry chose walking away, "oh and when you don't smell like erm that anymore the kitchen is down the hall from here and Teddy and I will be having dinner there."

"Teddy it's dinner time." Draco could hear Harry singsong as he turned to face the stairs. He walked up them slowly his grip tight on the railing he finally made it to the third floor and opened the first door to his left to find a linen closet which was completely empty, but clean.

He closed it and tried the next door.

It opened to a room with soft blue paint on three of the walls and a navy tapestry secured to the fourth. He pulled off the damp ripped robes he had been wearing for months and walked into the attached bathroom naked. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and grimaced at all of the weight he had lost. His usually pale skin had gone from a healthy pallor to a sickly one; he turned away from the image ashamed and stepped into the shower before the water was fully warm.

He had forgotten the joys of a nice shower, the wash of the water over his skin, the relaxation and the feeling of being clean. After what felt like hours in the shower he remembered the promise of food and shut the water off, wrapping himself in a towel and wandering back into the other room where Potter must have come to leave him some new clothing. He pulled on the worn muggle clothes and was thankful not for the first time for Potter's kindness.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry looked up from washing the last of his and Teddy's dishes to see his new house guest standing in the doorway of the kitchen looking even more strange clean and dressed in Harry's worn old muggle clothing than he had in torn dirty robes. The jeans were too short and probably the sleeves too as Draco had rolled the sleeves of his flannel shirt to his elbows and left it unbuttoned showing the grey shirt underneath was much too baggy.

"Would you like me to fix those?" Harry asked. And Draco nodded. Harry pulled out his wand and magically lengthened the pants and tightened the shirt until Draco didn't look like a child in his father's shirt.

"Thanks."

"Would you like dinner?"

"Yes please I'll eat anything you have."

Uncomfortable silence filled to room as Harry started to warm some more of the left overs they had in the fridge and placed them in front of Draco. "You can't have more than what's on that plate, speaking from experience eating more than that will cause you to vomit it all back up if you have been eating as little as it looks like you have been."

"I'm going to go put Teddy to bed. Feel free to make yourself at home, but really don't vomit in my house." He pulled the fussing child from his high chair and carried him up the stairs talking to the boy the whole time.

"Oh Draco eat slow." Harry called over his shoulder.

Draco tried to eat slowly, making sure he was chewing and he washed it all down with water, but he couldn't he was so hungry.

After he was done eating he sat there and just took in the feeling of being full, a feeling he hadn't had in a very long time.

* * *

By the time Harry came back down to the kitchen Draco was asleep with his head on the table snoring softly. Harry walked up and pulled the plate away from Draco and went to wash the dishes. He was putting them away when he realized that the Slytherine had awoken and was watching him.

"Harry why did you bring me here?" Draco asked. "Is it your hero complex? Do you feel sorry for me? Are you going to kill me in my sleep?"

"You know I have no idea, but something told me you needed to be here, and I listened."

"I do really appreciate it, but I hate charity and feeling like I owe someone so I am paying you back for helping me tonight."

"Are you leaving so soon? Where will you go?"

"I hadn't thought…"

"That I would be kind longer than a day?"

"Well I'm sure you can understand why I struggle to trust people."

"Fair enough. You have a week."

"A whole week to find somewhere to go and somewhere to work? Thank you."

"No you have a week until I expect you to start seriously looking for a job. No one will hire you right now Malfoy." Harry stated running his eyes over the emancipated boy's face. "Draco you look dead."

"You're too kind you know that right?"

"Yes, it's almost gotten me killed many times."

"Do you mind if I ask where the kid came from?"

"He's my Godson. His parents were both killed in the battle. You knew his father Professor Lupin, he was one of my father's best friends. His mother was an auror, oh and Teddy is a Metamorphmagus just like her, so don't be alarmed when his hair turns bright pink, it's his favorite color to turn lately."

"Does he have any problems with being part werewolf? I could help you brew him the wolfsbane potion if you want, as I know you're shit at potions."

"No he's been fine so far, but he's only thirteen months old. I really hope he is never affected."

"So you adopted him?"

"Not legally quite yet, but I'll probably get a trial for it once the war cases are through. I can't wait to get back in that room and hear yet another legal proceeding." Harry's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Is that what you've been doing this whole time?"

"Pretty much. I slept for the first three days or so and then apparently woke yelling about how I needed to find Teddy. He was safe and sound at his grandparents but his grandfather is sick, and they had just lost their daughter and caring for Teddy was too much for them. I've had him ever since then, and the two of us stayed with the Weasley's for the first three weeks or so as we went from one funeral to the next. It was horrible. Then that lot helped me clear out this place again and we had the help of professionals, and we got a lot of it cleaned a few years back. I've had to seal off the top coupl of floors until I have to time to clean them. I've been going to week after week of death eater trials I've been requested to show at all of them even if I didn't know most of them. Teddy's grandparents, and the Weasley's watch Teddy during the day, well when they are not in trials too. The trials have taken over all of our lives." He paused and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's been pretty miserable especially going to the ones I don't even know, people I've never heard of. And the lists of the horrible things they have done, oh and that curse that was put on your marks is the worst thing I've ever seen."

"What curse?"

"They don't completely understand but if any of you speak of each other's crimes in trial with the intent to get yourself free your mark makes you burn alive. It seems to be fine if you are answering honestly but if it is the intent to sell others out you die, and we can't stop it."

"That would have been helpful to know."

"I'm sure it would have but it's not like you were begging for your freedom like a lot of the others."

"Is that why the guard told me to keep my mouth shut if I wanted to live? He said to only answer in 'yes sir' and 'no sirs."

"I would think so."

"Is it only during trials?" Malfoy hand unconsciously slid over his mark.

"Yes, we think it's when you believe you are incriminating others with the mark, but they cannot remove the curse. This is why they haven't had any Death Eaters testifying at the other Death Eater's trials. Anyways you should go to bed soon, but it's probably been long enough that you can eat a little more without getting sick. I'll make you some toast." Harry stood and reached for the bread. Malfoy sat there staring at his Dark Mark.

"Here eat this and then you should go sleep. You still look dead."

"Thanks." Draco murmured as he took the cup of tea and the plate.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco woke fifteen hours later with no idea where he was and a very grouchy house elf setting a tray of food on his stomach. The elf muttered to himself as he shuffled out of the room.

Draco devoured the plate of food before falling back to sleep and sleeping off and on through more meals than he could keep track of. He felt a little better each time he was awakened.

Draco woke to a fuzzy tired feeling invading his brain, he tried to rool over and fall back asleep but something heavy was on his chest. The thing on his chest spoke and Draco's eyes burst open his heart racing, he was back, he was back there he was going to die. His eyes began to focus, wait that's an elf on his stomach not Greybeck or Nigini trying to devour him.

"Master Potter said the guest must get out of bed." The elf drawled climbing off of Malfoy and leaving the room mumbling. "Master Potter the Golden Boy oh Kreacher hates him, his noisy friends, but this new guest is full blood, a Malfoy, Kreacher approves." Kreacher climbs off of Malfoy and slides the tray of food onto Malfoy's lap and leaves the room muttering about Bellatrix and how much he liked her, and how her nephew was welcome here.

"What was that?" Draco muttered to himself sitting up and pulling back the covers on the bed. His feet hit the ground and he realized he was asleep in the muggle clothes Harry had given him, jeans and all. He shrugged and wandered to the bathroom and brushing his teeth before stumbling down the stairs.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Harry joked to the Malfoy boy as he wandered down the stairs on Sunday morning with bed head and significantly lighter bags under his eyes. Draco scowled.

"Now you look more like the Malfoy I remember." Harry chuckled "Despite the bed head."

Malfoy sank into the nearest chair and curled into a ball on it's plush surface.

"Why don't you come to the park with Teddy and I after lunch, it's actually sunny today, and you need it."

"But people will see me, they'll wonder why I'm not locked up."

"It's a muggle park."

"Oh I guess it's okay then."

* * *

**Shorter chapter here for you, but there is more to come. Thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited and followed it is greatly appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

Draco looked into the mirror after his shower. He looked small in yet another set of Harry's clothes, but not nearly as pathetic and starving as he had before. He simply looked like a child who grew too fast. The darkness under his eyes was less pronounced, but still gave him a tired distressed look. Draco's once white blonde hair had darkened to a sandy color which helped to balance out the severity of his pale skin. He looked a far cry from the boy he had been a few years prior, but he was thankful. He didn't want to be the boy who looked forward to the mark Draco now wore like a curse on his forearm.

With a sigh Draco pushed the hair that fell across his forehead to the side and left the bathroom to go outside and see the day light for the first time in so long.

Harry was stuffing Teddy into a coat and a pair of tiny boots before Draco saw him pick Teddy up. Harry balanced the small boy on one hip and pulled his wand out aiming it at the small boy's head and swished the wand.

"What was that?" Draco asked.

"It takes away his Metamorphmagus powers until I take the charm off. It stops muggles from seeing him change his hair and features."

"That would be an awkward explanation."

"Mostly it would just be a memory charm and I'm rubbish at those."

Draco and Harry were silent the whole way to the park but it was less awkward and more peaceful than the few times they had been in the same room after the trial.

They reached the park on the corner and Harry set the boy down and Teddy took off running clumsily across the rubber flooring of the park. He made a beeline for the swings and pushed it away from himself giggling when it rushed back at him. Harry watched the boy carefully as he sat down on a nearby bench. Draco followed him and took a seat on the bench.

"Does he need someone to push him?" Draco asked.

"No he's terrified of actually swinging every time I have put him in a swing he has screamed until I put him down."

"Have you ever had him swing with you?"

"No wouldn't he fall off?"

"No my dad used to do it with me when I was little."

"I can't imagine your father playing with you as a child."

"Just because he's made a lot of bad choices, and he believes things I don't doesn't mean he was a bad father. Not when I was little anyways. He's not all bad."

"No one is all bad."

"Some people are." Draco said quietly as his eyes glazed over with dark memories. Harry studied his old enemy carefully.

"What was that swinging thing you mentioned?" Harry asked pulling Draco out of the Dark place in his mind.

I'll show you." Draco reached over and swiped the small boy into his arms carefully setting him in Harry's lap facing his godfather, the boy's little legs sticking out on either side of Harry. "Start swinging slowly." Draco said and Harry did.

To his surprise the little boy giggled and Teddy happily swang with Harry for quite a while before he started to try and shimmy off and Harry let him go, watching carefully as the boy ran off.

"Does he call you dad?" Draco asked?

"I haven't decided yet, but I need to. He doesn't say much, it's really just 'bye, up, and more.' At this point." Harry leaned forward running both hands through his messy hair. " I really need to decide what I want him to call me." He said quietly.

"You plan on raising him as your son correct?"

"Yes."

"Then what's so wrong with him calling you dad?"

"I don't want him to forget Lupin and Tonks."

"Harry he's already forgotten them, it will be something for you to tell him about as he grows up."

"I suppose you're right, but I don't know if I'm ready to be someone's dad."

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Harry seemed to mull the idea over for a moment before he got a gleam in his eye Draco hadn't seen since they were young and hating one another.

"Bet I can swing higher than you." Harry said his eyebrows rising as he caught Draco's eye.

"Challenging the weak Potter?" Draco said as he pushed hard against the ground.

"Truce." Draco panted as the swing-set began to tremble under the mens' combined weight.

"I cannot believe that that got me out of breath." Draco mumbled once the both of them had their feet back on the ground.

"You've been through hell, and then you spent two weeks asleep in my guest bedroom." Harry pinted out.

"Two weeks. I slept for two weeks?" Draco sputtered. "You gave me a week to rest up and get a job, and I've already failed."

"Don't worry. I'm not kicking you out yet. I nearly forgot you were there."

"I'll start looking for a job tomorrow." Draco concluded.

"You will not, you're obviously still recuperating. You need at least another day or two of sleep and decent food before you look human enough to try a job interview anywhere." Harry said sternly.

"Do you have any papers I could look through?" Draco tried.

"That you could probably handle." Harry concluded taking his godson's hand as they began to walk back to number twelve Grimmauld Place.


	6. Chapter 6

Draco awoke to a breakfast tray on his stomach and two tall stacks of newspaper on the bedside table. He looked down to his breakfast and found a piece of parchment was rolled up next to the fork. He unfurled it with a sense of dread. He was out on his own for sure. Harry had had played hero long enough. It was more kindness than he had expected to face. He took a deep breath.

_ If you're healthy enough to walk to the park you're healthy enough to eat in the kitchen. This marks the end of your princess treatment. _

_P.S. you'll have more luck with the muggle jobs, without your use of magic and all. _

Draco felt his body relax, and he ate his breakfast quickly before picking up a muggle newspaper. He paged through it looking for a section which might contain his new start.

He quickly found he didn't understand a single damn job advertised. Fretting about his being and inconvenience Draco padded softly down the stairs keeping a look out for Potter.

"Teddy." He heard the man say.

"Daddy." Harry said as Draco turned the corner and found Harry lying back on the sofa with the child sprawled on his stomach.

"Teddy." He repeated touching the boy on his nose and the boy squirmed in delight.

"Daddy." He repeated pointing to himself.

"Da-ie" Teddy repeated and the boy's hair turned bright blue as he looked at his godfather's face.

"Da-ie" Teddy repeated pouncing on Harry's face his fingers squishing into Harry's nose and mouth. Harry chuckled pulling the boy back. He sat up moving the boy into his lap. He looked up and his eyes widened for a second before registering why there was a man in the doorway.

"Malfoy."

"You can call me Draco you know. I mean I'm wearing your clothes. I think we're passed surnames…" Draco turned pink after realizing what he'd insinuated. "I mean we I you've saved my life and now…"

"I understand what you meant, and you can call me Harry, but this one" He nodded to Teddy "only answers to Prince Theodore." Harry chuckled. "Did you need something specific or did you just need a change in scenery."

"I erm I realized I don't have the foggiest what any of these muggle jobs are." Draco scratched the back of his neck.

"Since when do you speak so eloquently?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Since …" Draco trailed off.

"So you need help with what the jobs are?" Harry asked to try and keep Draco from whatever hurt had changed him so deeply.

"Yes what is a garbage truck driver? What is a pet groomer, and is custodian the same thing in the muggle world. How does one even clean without magic? What is a secretary."

"Well a secretary answers phones, files papers, and takes care of things at an office."

"So they're inside all day?"

"Yes."

"I would hate that. I want to be somewhere where I can see the clouds and the sun."

A few hours and eight later Harry and Draco had a couple of jobs picked out for him to apply for. "So you can walk down to the phone booth on the next corner to call tomorrow morning and ask about their ads." Harry said.

"Like a fire call? But they're muggles?" Draco asked and Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long night if Draco was going to pass for a muggle the next day.

* * *

**Here is another short chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy.**


	7. Chapter 7

"And?" Harry said when he opened the door to Grimmauld Place.

"They hired me." Draco said with an air of disbelief.

"Congratulations." Harry said pulling Draco into a hug.

"Erm." Draco froze.

"Oh sorry." Harry took a big step back and scratched the back of his neck. "So erm where did you get hired?"

"The moving company."

"But you're so small?"

"And just when I was thinking I no longer hated you."

"Sorry that was mean. You're not all that small you just still look like someone who hasn't eaten properly in a year."

"That's because I haven't." Draco's eyes clouded over as he looked off behind Harry.

"I didn't mean."

"It's okay."

"When do you start work?" Harry questioned as they walked down the hallway.

"This afternoon, I think that was a big part of why they hired me; I said I could work right away, and could work any hours."

"Why are you back then?" Draco slowly turned red.

"I didn't have money to get lunch somewhere." Draco looked down towards his borrowed shoes.

"Well I was just about to make some for Teddy and I." Harry said picking up Teddy from where he was playing with blocks in the living room. The three of them headed down the hall to the kitchen and Harry settled the boy into his high chair before pulling out ingredients to make sandwiches for them.

"So tell me about the interview. I feel like I haven't spoken to an adult in days."

"Well it was a short conversation the boss was…" Draco started as he played with Teddy's curly magenta hair.

* * *

Thanks for reading. I hope you're enjoying. I'd love to hear feedback from you.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco slid his hands under the front end of the couch. He and his partner lifted together at the exact same time. Two weeks of working together all day had made them pretty close.

_I feel so much stronger after all this lifting._ He thought with a grin as he walked backwards up the few stairs to the stoop and into the small lobby he backed up three flights of stairs and into the small living room of their client's new apartment before setting the sofa down and looking at the small women standing in a sea of boxes.

"Is there anything else you need ma'am?" Draco asked adjusting the straps of the protective suspender like apparatus the company made him wear to prevent back injury.

"No I think that will be it, but here." She said slipping a tip into each of their hands.

"Fancy a pint?" Draco's coworker, Jonson asked as they walked down the stairs and back towards the company moving van.

"I don't have the money."

"But you just got a tip?" Jonson questioned

"It's the only money to my name, we get paid today and all that money is going to my old classmate who took me in."

"Why'd he take you in?"

"I didn't have anywhere else to go, and the git has a hero complex and is too kind for his own good."

"Sounds like you have some unresolved feelings for the bloke."

"Nosy parker."

"I resent that, but you didn't answer me."

"It wouldn't matter how I feel about the boy. How I've felt about him for a long time because I can't do anything about it while I'm his latest project. I can't do anything about it until I'm back on my feet, and until I know he's also into blokes."

"I think that's the most honest thing you've ever said to me."

"Bugger off."

"No." Jonson said and Draco smiled; this man had some sass.

"Why don't I buy you a drink to celebrate the beginnings of getting back on your feet?"

"I don't need your charity."

"It's not I need the company."

"Alright."

* * *

It may have been feather-light in his hand but Draco was conscious of the envelope the whole walk home. Not home, Potter's house. He corrected his thoughts. Draco gazed down at the envelope in his hand.

Five years ago he would have scoffed at the number on the check, but now he couldn't be more proud of himself. It was going to be a long hard journey to the day that people didn't cringe at his surname, but Malfoy knew this was the first step.

"Harry, Harry I have something for you!" Draco's voice burst with excitement that the man himself hadn't heard since he was a small boy.

"Well what is it Draco?" Harry questioned walking towards him with the small boy on his hip.

"Daco." Teddy agreed.

"Hi Buddy." Draco said ruffling the boy's green locks.

"Draco what is it?"

"Oh right, I have my first ever paycheck! It's for you."

"You don't have to." The dark haired man protested.

"I do." The Slytherine argued.

"Well consider us even." Harry stated sensing a pride in Malfoy which he had not seen since fifth year.

"We'll never be even, but I'll pay you back as best I can."

"I'm sure you will."

* * *

**Another short chapter for you. I hope you enjoy.**


	9. Chapter 9

Draco and Harry quickly fell in to a routine of sitting together at night after Teddy was asleep and just enjoying another presence in the room. They would read different books, sometimes listen to the radio, or skim through a newspaper. Soon they found themselves talking too.

"Why did you and the Weasley girl end things?"

"What, oh Ginny and I?"

"Yes."

"It just wasn't right. She's like my sister. I call her parent's mom and dad now, and I stayed at their house every Christmas and some portion of most summers, and her brother is my best friend and it was too weird I just didn't feel quite right about it."

"How'd she take it?"

"Not too badly considering she's had a thing for me since we met."

"That long?"

"Apparently, but it's all for the best, she's at her last year of school after repeating the year she lost to the war, and then she's been drafted to play Quidditch professionally. She'd never be around and we'd spend all of our time missing each other."

"And who wants to be tied down when you have all the fanboys she'll get?" Draco grinned.

"Right and besides there is Teddy to think about, he throws a huge wrench into my dating life, as if that wasn't complicated enough to begin with."

"The whole hero thing doesn't help?"

"It would if I just wanted someone to shag, but that's just not me."

"What a waste."

"Would you really shag all of those crazy witches throwing themselves at you."

"Oh Salazar no. I like integrity, and a challenge."

"You never seemed the type despite your reputation at school."

"Lies and wishful thinking was all there was to that part of my reputation."

"I figured as much. There wasn't much of your reputation that was true was there?"

"No, not much at all."

* * *

The next night it was Harry starting the conversation.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Staring at your Dark Mark."

"No I'm not."

"Lies, you're staring at it again. I can feel your self-loathing from over here."

"I just want it off." Draco conceded.

"It's magical it doesn't come off."

"But I hate it. I didn't even want it. I just didn't want my parents dead."

"Maybe it doesn't have to come off. Maybe you can make it blend in."

"How?"

"Get more tattoos, like muggle ones. Get a whole sleeve of them, well you'd have to get two sleeves you would look unbalanced the other way."

"Get more tattoos?"

"You'd look pretty badass. It would look hot with all your new muscles." Harry's face reddened "What I meant to say was you'll be turning some girls' heads."

"I'm sure that's what you meant Potter." Draco said turning a bit red.

"Oh course it was."

* * *

"So what's your life plan?" Malfoy asked one night while they were coexisting in the living room.

"You mean what am I going to do now that the trials are over and I have been granted custody of Teddy?"

"Yeah, basically."

"Well after the war and the whole 'Chosen One' debacle I turned down tons of interviews and book offers saying I didn't want my words twisted by another person and I want to be able to think over exactly how much I want to reveal so I told the reporters I'd write a book."

He shook his head. "I don't want to write a book, and every time I try to start at the beginning I get flashbacks to my mother's death, or to the Dursley's abuse and I start to wonder how I'm fit to raise a kid, and then I get all depressed."

"It's stressful and frightening, knowing everyone will know all of my secrets if I write the thing, and no one will believe half the things I write, and they won't stop hounding me for the truth, but they're hounding me now. Wanting to know what's going on with Teddy, why I'm not in Auror training, why I'm not dating, when the book is coming out, why I spoke positively for some Death Eaters, and so many more things."

He took a deep breath and looked at Draco with complete honesty "Can't the man who just defeated the Dark Lord have a second of peace?"

"No I suppose not. You mean a lot to people. You brought about the end of their fear. You made them safe again. And not just that you're a mystery with all of these crazy news stories and your rugged good looks everyone wants to know more."

"My rugged good looks? Really Malfoy?"

"Hey it was just an observation."

"That's what they all say."

"Anyways potter, would you like help writing your book?"

"Anything so I don't have to write the bloody thing."

"I could help you, I do like to write."

"Do you really?"

"Yes I very much do."

* * *

"Where should I start?" Harry asked the next night as Draco sat by, quill at the ready.

"Where ever you are most comfortable, we can always change up the order."

"Okay well the first time I knew I wasn't just any wizard was the day Haggrid took me through the Leaky Cauldron on my way to get school supplies before first year. I had learned I was a wizard late the night before but as I walked through the pub and people stopped to stare recognizing me on sight, shaking my hand and welcoming me back I knew I was different."

* * *

**More Darry for you, they're starting to get closer to feelings. They'll get there eventually they're stubbornness will make it take a while though.**


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